The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-05-19
WHITE WIT AGAINST RED.

AIter MS scalp
II reckon you know the old Red Cloud
Agency to the northeast of Fort Laramie?'
queried Joe Wagner, the Indian fighter, as
he was asked to narrate one of his adven-
lures.
"Yes."
"Well, still to the northeast of that is the
Spotted Tail Agency, provided the Indian
agents haven't stolen it. Through these two
reservations runs bit of river called the
Niobrara, and at a big bend, midway be-
tween the two agencies, sot myself down
one fall to do some trapping. 1t was the first
or second year after the agencies were estab-
Hshed and the redskins forced to live upon
them, and the whole lot of them were in a
cantankerous state from Sunday morning to
Saturday night. War parties were sneaking
OF the reservations now and then to sneak
back when the pursuit became too hot, and
the red devils left at home thought no more
OF killing white hunter than you would Of
kicking chip out of your way.
II went there to hunt and trap because il
was great game region, but l realized all
the perils. knew that if was discovered by
the Indians, I'd be wiped out instanter. ]
outfitted at Laramie with mule, provisions
and traps, and was ten or 'leven days getting
to the bend in the river I have spoken of
The first thing was to corral the mule in
safe place, and the next to go into camp
about mile away and leave as few traces OF
my presence as possible 1 didn't see any In
dian signs around there, but didn' let that
fact make me overconfident. 1 have been
struck by arattlesnake when didn't suppose
there was one within ten miles. / made
me comfortable shelter of limbs and brush,
got fifty-six traps into the river and some
dead falls set, and had begun to feel bit
easier in my mind when, on the third day
after my arrival, 1 secuted out to see if the
throat had been cut from ear to ear, and, by
the big horn spoon! it was the work of red
skin. He had not only cut the animals
throat clear across, but had cut and slashed
the body in fifty places In the sign language
Of the Indian that meant contempt for the
owner of the mule 1t meant for me to look
out for myself. It meant war to the knife on
the white man who had dared trespass upon
the forbidden grounds.
IF had been fool 'nuf to go walking
around in search of the mule, the chap who
finished him would have finished me. But
wasn't, you see. went gliding about like q
sarpint, and from the edge of thicket saw
the body of the mule lying in little glade.
That there was an Indian near by, ready to
draw q bead on me, had no doubt, and the
idea didn't rattle me as much as you might
suppose. I reasoned that if there was two
reds they would have run the mule off in
stead of killing him. believed that there
was only one, and that he was some young
warrior who was ambitious to match cunning
With me, and who who wanted the M honor a q
me . bit. I don't want to do any boast
ing, but I've lived in the Indian
happened that redskin got very far
ahead of me as anybody knows of: Il was
about ten o'clock in the morning when I got
my gentle hint. From the looks of the body
I Judged that the mule had been killed that
very. morning. This made it pretty clear
that the redskin had not yet discovered my
shelter. Otherwise, he would have attended
to my case first. My first care was to get out
Of the neighborhood without leaving any
. mile or 90 from my camp, and cut down
brush and make decoy camp. The fire ]
had used to cook my breakfast had been
built in q hole in the ground, and carefully
extinguished when it had answered my pur-
pose. The red would smell the smoke Of
"
I thought Of him skulking around there and
waiting for man about my size to come in
and be bored with bullet.
sThe next move was to strike the river
Just where the savage would hit It If looking
Tor my traps. It was guesswork Of course,
my shoulders for half an hour, and when ]
waded back was in ambush in . bunch ol
willows, and he would have to show himself
TO get to me. Ireasoned that he would find the
fire and the counterfeit camp by Ieven
O'clock. He would hang around there until
Then be would slide Tor the river, hoping tc
pick me upas sat on the ground pulling the
pelts of my catch. l had been In position
Over an hour, and was beginning to wish
the climax would come, when sudden
thought lifted me q foot high, and inside
The stream, It struck me all in a heap
that ! had reasoned wrong The redskin
wouldn't come my way at all, nor come
through the woods, but would go further up
the river and come floating down along the
right bank, which was heavily shaded, and
quarter Of mile below the ambush, and In
one Of the small bends of the stream.
could now soe up the river clear to the spo4.
/ had vacated, and what do you suppose hap
peued inside Of ten minutes? Well, sir, that
Indian came floating down at the end Of an
poGlts where had waited to ambush him ne
Snee up, picked his rife of the log. and
Wodad ashore, drawing the log after him, and
landing 1t. Then he softly crept into the
willows, and II had fsen waiting In
tie old spot he would have had my back
. him, and ! would have been Q goner.
The cns had reasoned it out for him
~ He had discovered that the camp
.yn bogus. He had reasoned that
I would lay for him just whore ] did. Then,
- - me at my game, he had gone up the
6(t1a0 and dOated down to take me In the
'c1ne. Sharp Indian, he was, but there was q
&o{tY BY the name OF Joe Wagner In that
hh0rhood Just then. could have shot
= ID = he len the water. for ! had Q mon.
l11ously heavy d6e, but didn't want to.
W61te4 70 mortify and humiliate him first.
~ M - hour hs reappsared, and he was
~ After standing for Q few minutes he
~ up his mind that ] had posted myself
UH down, and he sets his log sfioat and
- dy3fing along with only his nose above
~. JuGt . be reached me he pushed the
ITO the bank, waited Tor long three
3H1oa md than fose up and crawled ashore
~ poDe mp TO eet view Around him we
- not thirty fee apart. ] ris too, rife 70
(Aoql19, and yelled TO him:
~ Won ass only . squav at this
~ ~ ~ vss passlxssd- The fnt cese
\ HI eve ~. ais ri6e tell TO the
~ ~ &ycQpe4 ~ eyes bulged ont,